Today, guests aboard National Geographic Quest had the chance to become real-life mermaids! At Coiba National Park, rangers work diligently to keep the surrounding areas as pristine as possible while also allowing local and foreign tourists the chance to experience these conservation efforts and observe how they are working. Guests experienced this up close and personal with forest walks at the ranger station and snorkeling at nearby Cocos Island. Those who chose the underwater experience were treated to a vast array of life amongst the coral reef. With the first king tides of the year bringing an extra low tide, the animals were so close it was almost like snorkelers were inside an aquarium with them. After picking up anchor and heading off to the wild open blue, all were surprised by the presence of a few Bryde’s whales and a couple of species of dolphins while cruising to our destination, the Panama Canal.
3/20/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Caletas Private Reserve and Corcovado National Park
Over five days ago, we began our journey in Panama and now we’re on our last day in Costa Rica. We decided to explore one of the most important areas in terms of biodiversity, the Osa Peninsula. The Osa Peninsula is home to approximately 4% of the biodiversity in the world. For many years, people tried to mine the area because it is very rich in minerals, specifically gold. Over thirty years ago the government of Costa Rica decided to promote the country as a tourist destination and today it is a pioneer of sustainability in Central America. We began our morning activities offering different options for our guests. The first activity was a coastal walk, and some had the opportunity to see a boa, a white-throated capuchin monkey, and a mantled howler monkey. In the afternoon, part of our group chose to go for a waterfall hike led by our naturalists, and they finished at a swimming hole where they took time to relax and enjoy themselves. Other guests took the long Pargo trail where they saw a Central American spider monkey, and a tapir, one of the most difficult animals to see in the tropics. We finished our day with an amazing sunset from the bow of the National Geographic Quest , a great end to a great day.
